Sram XX

[Lanky Love]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/tech.php?id=/tech/2008/news/11-13

Its not new news and there have been discussions on other forums, but I havnt seen any discussion on it here (i did a quick search, but search sram and a lot of crap comes up).

So what do you guys think of it?

I reackon it sounds pretty cool if they get it right. I think getting the size of the two front chain rings would be pretty important and probably difficult. I also realy like the idea of one shigter leaver, with my big hand i constantly wear holes in my gloves on my thumb shifter and find it a bit akward to shift and i reckon simplifying it will save weight and be a lot more comfy and easier to use.

 

[rockydog]

um..that article is pretty speculative.
It's hard to have an opinion when we don't know what is being proposed.

 

[Tomas]

Tripples are pretty useless in XC i find. Generally stay in 2-3 for 99.9% of the time on the bike.

And that was the worst article ever. Nothing definitive, all stupid speculation on weight and bla bla bla. lame.

 

[Lanky Love]

Well from what i read in Enduro the other day and everywhere alse sounds like they will definantly have 10x2. Enduro also said Zipp are making the two ring cranks (dont know if that is rumor or fact though).

 

[Tomas]

Heaps of companies already make 2x9 gear (and some of the high-end race bikes come specced with it)... thats a long way from 10sp gear.
For example:

 

[b_S]

Not interested in 10spd or double tap

 

[Psyloman]

Well from what i read in Enduro the other day and everywhere alse sounds like they will definantly have 10x2. Enduro also said Zipp are making the two ring cranks (dont know if that is rumor or fact though).

Chances are pretty good this is true, SRAM already have the relationship with Zipp through them building the new SRAM road wheels

 

[bear the bear]

2x9

Heaps of companies already make 2x9 gear

Ah no they don't! That is part of the reason the SRAM rumors are considered a big thing.
FSA is the only major company that currently produces a mtb 2 ring setup in commercial quantities. There are a couple of others like clavucla's if up have a spare $1500 and a 6 month lead time, FRM (flexy as sh!t and propritory chainrings), stronglight (flexy), specialized (propritory, BB30 and good luck getting your hands on a set!), cannondale (propritory, BB30).
Even the pro's usually are riding modified triple cranks. The mods are normally a smaller granny ring (if frame geometry allows) and increasing the middle ring to a 40-44t. Chainring bolts are normally packed out with spacers.
Forums like weightweenies and mtbr have numerous threads about this subject.

 

[leitch]

11 speed, Super Record style.

 

[Bodin]

Even the pro's usually are riding modified triple cranks.

A fairly common set up at the international elite level these days is to use a 40/28 set up with a roadie front derailleur, which works pretty well with the X0 twist shifters that so many pros still use.

I'm not convinced by the need for 10 speeds on the rear, though. I've even seen a picture of a pro who takes the 11 tooth cog of his cassette and spaces it outwards so that he's got 8 speeds with 9 speed spacing and a better chainline on the bigger cogs.

There's also a very successful American pro who uses a single 36t crank and chain device on his XC bike!

If SRAM are going to sell a 2x10 drivetrain for MTB to the general public, I think it's going to take a long time, but I'm glad if they at least give it a shot, because eventually some of the good things they come up with will trickle down.

 

[go to bed jessica]

A fairly common set up at the international elite level these days is to use a 40/28 set up with a roadie front derailleur, which works pretty well with the X0 twist shifters that so many pros still use.

I'm not convinced by the need for 10 speeds on the rear, though. I've even seen a picture of a pro who takes the 11 tooth cog of his cassette and spaces it outwards so that he's got 8 speeds with 9 speed spacing and a better chainline on the bigger cogs.

There's also a very successful American pro who uses a single 36t crank and chain device on his XC bike!

It's about time the big guys did something about 2 chainring specific cranks, like bear the bear said, there are options out there, but not many (although you forgot Middleburn - I've used mine for 3 seasons now, I love them).

Not keen on 10 speed though, but that said I thought going to 9 was a load of wank at first, the levels of bike industry paranoia that were going about when that happened........

Like you say Bodin, I remove the 11t cog and run a spacer behind the cassette. Can anyone actually remember using that cog in a race ever? It's purely to get a better chain line, so my guess is we'll see some pro's running SRAM XX 9 speed cassettes in the future. It'l' be interesting to see what happens in the nexr few months, thats for sure.